What Parents of Young Kids Should Keep In Mind When Hiring a Teen Babysitter
Hannah is a teen writer for Radical Parenting.com, a parenting website written from the kid’s perspective with 82 teen interns! She is a 16-year old from New Jersey. She loves to compete with color guard and marching band, and play piano. She hopes to become a writer one day, and to inspire others to follow their dreams. For more articles by teens please check out RadicalParenting.com.
One of the many hard decisions a parent will make can occur before a child can even walk. Choosing someone to watch and take care of their children is very difficult, especially when most babysitters are teens. Therefore, it is best to have a few guidelines to keep in mind when picking a babysitter for a young child.
- Pick someone whose family you already know.
Sometimes, this may not be an option if you are new to a town, or if you have few friends with teens. However, if you are lucky enough to know a teenager, you will already know how they were raised, how they may handle bad situations, and if you can trust them with your child. Furthermore, a teen will probably be a better babysitter for a family they have known for a while.
- Choose a qualified teen.
Look for a teenager who has a babysitters’ certification. The Red Cross offers an informative babysitter course, and a qualified teen will be better with your child. The course teaches teens how to care for babies and even older children. Good babysitters do not necessarily have to have a certification, but it can offer you reassurance that the teen knows what they are doing.
- Find out about the teen’s life.
Make sure you know the teen’s interests. If your young child likes music, a babysitter that likes music will be more effective than one who prefers sports. Also, find out the teen’s activities. If the teen reports that they participate in various clubs and sports, they may sound responsible. They may also, however, be too busy to have a flexible schedule to watch your child. Also, find out about the teen’s family. If the teen reports having younger siblings, they will be more effective than an only child babysitter.
- Meet the teen before hiring them.
Before scheduling a teenager to babysit your children, choose a day to meet with the teenager. This way, you can show them around the house, discuss salaries, and see how the teen interacts with your children. If you just schedule a teen before meeting them, it will not give you any time to change your mind or see what the teen is really like.
Hiring a babysitter may be nerve-wracking, but it should be fun too. Just remember, this is your chance for a break, and many teenagers are capable of watching your child. You just have to find the right one!